Animal Rescue

Humane Society of Missouri Disaster Response Team deploys to North Dakota to rescue animals affected by severe flooding

Disaster Response team members performing evaluations on the horses in their care.

Disaster Response team member Jeff McRoy checks on the status of four horses reportedly in distress.

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April 1, 2009- The Disaster Response team has been snowed in since Monday. Today is the first day they are able to follow up on calls of animals in distress. There has also been a request from Minnesota Homeland Security to check on the welfare of animals near flooded areas across the River from North Dakota. If their assistance is not needed, the team plans to leave in the next 24 hours.

March 30, 2009-The water levels of the Red River have receded but the strength of the levee system is questioned with possible blizzard conditions moving into the area. Many pet owners have taken advantage of temporary shelter for their pets near the Fargo area.

The Disaster Response team is assisting with emergency sheltering needs until they are called upon to make water rescues.

March 27, 2009- The Humane Society of Missouri Disaster Response Team has been deployed to North Dakota to rescue animals affected by severe flooding in the Fargo area. The four team members are all experienced in water and disaster rescue and animal sheltering. The team will take with them two trucks pulling a travel trailer and an equipment trailer with water and rope rescue equipment and a boat and an animal transport van.

The team left St. Louis this morning (Friday, March 27) and is expected to remain in North Dakota at least a week.

Background:
The Humane Society of Missouri will be working with the Fargo Emergency Management Agency, Code 3 and the Humane Society of the United States to assist in animal rescue in this disaster. The Humane Society of Missouri has participated in disaster response in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005; Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008; floods in Iowa and southeast and northeast Missouri in 2008 and numerous ice storms, tornados and other natural disasters in Missouri the past several years.